Book of account.



No. 878,217. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

. W. T. MAODOUGALL.

BOOK OF ACCOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 878,217. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908. .W. T. MAODOUGALL.

BOOK OF ACCOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED F3120. 1907.

3 SHBETB -SH'P-ET 2.

FIG. 4

N0. 8'78,21'7. PATENTED FEB. 4, 1908.

W. T. MAODOUGALL- BOOK OF ACCOUNT.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

UNITED s'rarns WILLIAM T. MACDOUGALL, OF WOODBRIDGE, NEW JERSEY.

BOOK OF ACCOUNT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 4, 1908.

Application filed February 20.1907- gerial No. 358504- T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. hIAC DOUGA'LL, a citizen of the United States, and

a resident of I/Voodbridge, county of Middlesex, State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Books of Account, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of a book embodying the invention, closed; Fig. 2 illustrates a plan view of a book embodying the invention, opened; Fig. 3 illustrates an endwise view of that which is shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 4 illustrates a plan view of a book embodying the invention, showing the duplex character of the structure, the two halves of the book being moved to the right and left respectively; Fig. 5 illustrates an endwise view of that which is shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 6 illustrates an endwise view of that which is shown in Figs. 4 and 5; the two halves of the book being respectively opened, as in use for posting or comparison, ete.; Fig. 7 illustrates a plan view of the covers and back showing certain details of construction; Fig.

' 8 illustrates an endwise view of a part of a book showing certain details of construction; Fig. 9 illustrates a modified construction of the binding strip and co-acting parts. Fig. 10 illustrates a detail of the construction.

The market is well supplied with books of account adapted to keep the records of large commercial houses, banks, railroads, insurance companies and the like, but there is a considerable and constantly growing demand for books of account adapted to the necessities of those whose affairs are not so extended as in these other instances, and yet who desire, for example, a cash book, journal and ledger, such as professional men, lawyers, physicians, architects and many others.

It is the purpose, therefore, of this inven tion to produce a book so constructed that it shall contain between the same pair of covers all the books of account or record so desired; and I so construct the book that its two halves, one including, for example, the cash record and journal, and the other the ledger, may be conveniently separated from each other, each part being so arranged that it can be opened out flat without interfering with the other, for convenience in posting or comparison. Likewise I preferably make the structure in such manner that the entire interior of the combined book may be removed from the covers and back proper, not

as separated sheets, but as intact bound books, and a new interior readily inserted. In this way I am enabled. to make the covers and back proper in an expensive, durable and handsome manner, as will be desirable for the uses stated, since any number of in teriors may one after the other be inserted therein as previous ones are exhausted and removed therefrom for storage or other disposition.

Referring to the drawings, A, A, represent the covers proper of the book and B the back thereof. As stated, these may be. expensively made.

C, C, are the two halves of the interior. The half C may include the cash book and journal and the part C the ledger.

D, D, are strips of suitable, flexible material, preferably non-oxidizing metal, such brass, aluminium, or the like. They are of such length as to extend. entirely across the book when opened and are attached at their ends, as at E, I], to the covers A of the book. In Fig. 7 I show one end of these flexible strips detached as will be necessary for the removal of an interior when exhausted and the insertion of a fresh one.

F, F, are strips of metal riveted, or otherwise attached to the inside edges of the covers A, A, adjacent to the hack, andG, G, are sliding thumb-buttons which project upwardly from the metallic strips F, by which they are supported, and they are adapted to slide relative to the strips F, the shank of the thumb-buttons moving through slots H made in the strips F.

The book interior is made of a number of leaf sections, each section comprising the desired number of leaves folded upon themselves; and as illustrated at I, I, each section is stitched to a binding piece J, as shown best in Fig. 8, and the flexible strips D pass through these binding strips J, as shown best in Fig. 8, so that the leaf sections are held by the strips D.

I provide for each half of the book what I term an attaching strip, with false cover. It is made up as follows: A thin, but sufficiently strong and still piece of cardboard, or similar material K, is introduced ust inside the covers proper A, and to its edge is suitably attached the attaching strip L, which may be made of suitable, flexible seam material, such, for instance, as pigskin (any other equivalent therefor may be used). In the edge of the strip L I make slotted openings M, through which the heads of the thumb-buttons G may pass and through which they may slide, thus confining the false cover K and the series of leaf sections in place between the covers proper A; and in order that this result may be secured, I preferably attach the binding piece J to the false cover K, as indicated at N in Fig. 8. The construction of the other half of the book is the same as above described, so that each half has its false cover piece K, and attaching strip L, provided with slotted openings through which the sliding thumbbuttons G may pass, and in which they may engage, as explained.

It will be noted that the flexible strips D extend from the edge of one of the covers transversely across the book through the attaching piece L, through the binding strip or strips J of one half of the book, thence across the opening between the two halves and through the corresponding parts in the other half and are detachably attached, as shown in Fig. 7 to the outer edge of the other or main cover A.

The method of use is as follows: Ordinarily the two halves of the book will be held in proper relation to the back and covers roper by the engagement of the thumbuttons G in the slots of the attaching piece L, being also sustained in that position by the continuous, flexible strips D, which engage with the binding piece or pieces of all the leaf sections, so that the book may be opened and closed and used as usual, the covers proper opening out flat without any spring action tending to their closure, and the various sections of leaves also opening out flat and without spring action tending to their closure. desired, however, to post the ledger from the journal or cash book, or to make comparison between the several entries, then the thumbbuttons being all pushed back, the attaching strips L are disengaged from them, and then one half of the book, for example, that containing the journal and, cash book, may be shoved to the left, as shown in Fig. 5, and the other half to the right, as likewise shown in that figure, whereupon each half may be individually opened at such place as desired, by folding the leaves thereof to the right and left, as usual, whereupon they will assume the position shown in Fig. 6, in which each half of the book is illustrated as fully opened, exposing the surfaces of the leaves to view, for convenient posting or comparison, which being completed, the parts may again be shoved back to their original position, and the thumb-buttons again engaged with the slotted openings in the attaching strips, whereby the two halves will again be held between the covers proper and thus the book be adapted to ordinary and usual handling, the same as before.

It will be noted that, as stated above, the entire interior, or one half thereof, when exhausted and a fresh one desired, may be re' moved from the covers proper and back by disconnecting one end of .the continuous guiding and confining strips D, as illustrated in Fig. 7 as for instance, by running back small screws, or their equivalent, which will be passed through the holes 0 in the cover, and thread into the openings seen in the loosened ends of the strips D. Thereupon one or both of the halves of the interior may be slipped off from the released ends of the strips D and removed, a new half, or complete interior, as the case may be, being inserted by a reversal of the above operations.

In Fig. 9 I show a modified construction of the binding strips J. Instead of being corrugated, as shown in Fig. 8, it may be made by folding the material sharply upon itself at one part, leaving the rounded or bent fold at the opposite part where the leaves are attached.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with such matters that many modifications may be made in the details of construction of the parts above described and illustrated without departing from the essentials of the invention. I therefore do not limit myself to such details.

I claim:

1. A'book embodying covers and a back, an interior consisting of two separable as- 100 semblages of leaves, means whereby each assemblage may be detachably attached to the cover adjoining it adjacent to the back thereof and guiding and confining devices con nected with the covers near their outer edges 105 and which engage with each assemblage of leaves.

2. A book embodying covers and a back, an interior consisting of two separable assemblages ofleaves, means whereby each 110 assemblage may be detachably attached to the cover adjoining it adjacent to the back and other means attached to the covers for confining the two assemblages within the covers when they are separated.

3. A book embodying covers and a back, an interior consisting of two assemblages of leaves slidably separable toward and from the back, guiding and confining devices attached to each of the covers adjacent to 120 their outer edges and which engage with the assemblages of leaves.

4. A book embodying covers and a back, an interior consisting of two separable assemblages of leaves, devices attached to each 125 cover near the back of the book and other devices attached to the respective assemblages of leaves adapted to engage with and disengage from said attaching devices on the covers, whereby the assemblages of leaves 130 may be centrally held between the covers and detached therefrom without disorganizing any part of the interior and supplemental guiding and confining devices connected with each of the covers near their outer edges and which engage with each assemblage of leaves.

5. A book embodying covers and a back, an interior consisting of two separable assemblages of leaves, means whereby each assemblage may be detachably attached to the cover which adjoins it adjacent to the back thereof, guiding and confining devices attached near the outer edges of each of the covers and which slidably engage with each 15 assemblage of leaves whereby they may be moved to the right and left respectively and yet be held to the covers.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of 20 two subscribing witnesses.

WILLIAM T. MAODOUGALL.

Witnesses:

F. M. DONSBACII, VINCENT SoULLY. 

